ALBUM REVIEW: Conformicide – Havok

Californian thrashers HAVOK make their triumphant return in the form of their fifth album Conformicide, the follow up to 2013’s Unnatural Selection is due for release March 10th via Century Media Records and it is guaranteed that this album will be on everyone’s lips for many years to come.

HAVOK waste little time in making the sentiments and their intentions behind this album known with defiant cries of “political correctness, is a social disease” in opening track F.P.C and this theme stays consistent throughout with lyrics such as “the enemy is not coming from overseas” and “keep you stupid, so you will not rebel.” The quartet have clearly put a lot of contemplation into every single song as every note, every cymbal hit and every snarling declaration provided by frontman David Sanchez feels relevant and necessary as HAVOK really take their instrumental execution up to an entirely different level. The introduction of bassist Nick Schendzielos in 2015 was a masterstroke as his mind bending, flamboyant bass fills particularly in Intention To Deceive and Circling The Drain are a pleasure to experience.

For the last few albums HAVOK have been on the precipice of greatness but they now seem to have hit that sweet spot where Conformicide graciously gives a nod to the legendary thrash bands that paved the way before them but at the same time nonchalantly leaves them in the dust with their mesmerising riff offensive and passionate vocal barrages. The album is full to the brim of so many adrenaline fuelled moments which just blow your mind that it is difficult to pinpoint or classify any songs which stand above their counterparts. The three pronged rapid fire combination of Hang ‘Em High, Dogmaniacaland Intention To Deceive really set the tone for the album and you know you are going to require your seat-belt for the remainder. Despite it only being the first quarter of the year (and the bar has already been set extremely high courtesy of KREATOR) Conformicide is a dead cert to be on multiple Album Of The Year lists as 2017 comes to a close.